Rhode Island International Film Festival / LA Shorts International Film Festival 2019 – The Get Together
A casual dinner party becomes an evening of confusion, upheaval, and revelation when two couples unknowingly eat pot fudge while planning the wedding of their children.
Interview with Writer/Director Caitlin Dahl
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
I wrote The Get Together after I was invited to screen my last short film Grown-Ups at the prestigious and Oscar-qualifying Rhode Island International Film Festival. I was so inspired by what I saw on opening night that I threw away the other short film script I was working on and opted to really challenge myself and write something I could visualize being shown on the opening night of the festival next year. I dug deep within myself, wrote from my own experiences, and came up with a funny, farcical piece about two couples coming together for a dinner party to help plan a wedding for their children. Once gathered, the two couples gradually expose their own marital problems, as well as a growing enchantment with each other’s partners. All of their insecurities and human foibles soon come to the surface, and all of this is exacerbated by the fact that they have unwittingly and accidentally eaten fudge that has been laced with edible marijuana - which of course results in confusion, hilarity and absurdity.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
For a good laugh!
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
I want to tell this story to explore the many issues of marriage – its value, its relevance, and the question of its sustainability. My parents’ generation was the first to question the validity and the need for marriage (the film The Graduate comes to mind), and for many people my age, the idea of a lifetime of monogamy flies in the face of the basic human desire for variety and adventure. As best as we try, it seems so many of us are always looking for something more – or at least different and these are the themes that I am looking forward to exploring in The Get Together.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
I re-wrote the film up about ten times before we shot the film. I was even re-writing with the actors when we blocked the scenes. A lot changes when you get the piece up on its feet - so to speak!
What type of feedback have you received so far?
We have gotten a lot of great feedback from this film and have won three awards so far. Surprisingly, a few people have told me stories very similar to this one where a relieve or someone they know accidentally ate pot fudge and ended up in the hospital! So our story has a more happy ending.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
I am looking to get more exposure as a writer/director and get the film out there in the world! It is very entertaining and sometimes we all need a good laugh - especially in today's climate.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
I would love to develop some more relationships with journalists, buyers, distributors and film festival directors to promote this film as well as my future projects.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
Is monogamy natural? How do you keep your marriage healthy and happy?
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
The Dahl Sisters are working on developing a feature film and a children's musical project - The Curlytops.
Interview: July 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
The Get Together
A casual dinner party becomes an evening of confusion, upheaval, and revelation when two couples unknowingly eat pot fudge while planning the wedding of their children.
Length: 12:36
Director: Caitlin Dahl
Producer: Melinda Dahl, India Dupre
Writer: Caitlin Dahl
About the writer, director and producer:
CAITLIN DAHL was born in Toronto, Canada, one of three strong, talented and artistic sisters who became widely known in Toronto art circles as “The Dahl Sisters”. She attended Ryerson University, studying Film, and from there embarked on a prolific and ongoing career, during which she has written, produced and directed three short films, a well-received documentary film, as well as countless music videos and commercial productions.
Born in Toronto, MELINDA DAHL is an actress, producer, musician and fine art photographer living in Los Angeles. She has a recurring role on the AT&T/Audience Network's hit show Loudermilk starring Ron Livingston. She also had a recurring role in Hulu's Golden Globe nominated series Casual. Recently, she appeared in American Crime Story - The Assassination of Gianni Versace and in Matthew Weiner's new series The Romanoffs. Melinda starred in Caitlin Dahl's Independent Film Grown Ups alongside SAG award-winning actress Alexandra Breckenridge. She co-produced The Get Together with India Dupre.
INDIA DUPRE is a British/Australian screenwriter, director, producer and performer based in Los Angeles. Dupre received her BA in Theater, Film and Television from UCLA and is an alumnus of the Groundlings, Playhouse West and The Stella Adler Players. Her short film, Stripped, starring Vikings actress Katheryn Winnick and shot by Jurassic Park’s DP Dean Cundey won several Oscar-qualifying film festivals and is being developed into a feature. She is thrilled to have worked with innovative director Caitlin Dahl on two of her short films.
Key cast: Melinda Dahl (Emily) Lance Guest (Charlie) Cameron Dye (Rich) Gigi Berminham (Kathy)
Looking for: distributors, journalists, film festival directors, sales agents, buyers
Facebook: The Get Together
Hashtags used: #thegettogethershortfilm #dahlsisters #thedahls
Website: www.thegettogethershortfilm.com
Other: IMDb
Funders: Self-Funded with assistance from Indiegogo
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? COMEDY Film Festival in Los Angeles - December 5th at 7pm at the LA LIVE Regal Cinemas in downtown LA. In 2020 The Get Together will be available for streaming on Amazon Prime.